Thursday, August 16, 2012

fall workshop drive!

Winter is coming, and you don't have to be from the House of Stark to know how serious that is, you just need to be a farmer. So far my preparations include a barn with 50 bales of hay stacked inside and a cord of firewood, plus another cord ordered to be delivered in September. I still need about 150 more bales of hay and another 2-3 cords of wood. I am finding ways to make it work, but the sooner I can prepare before October the more I will be able to enjoy the fall and feel safe in this little white farmhouse. To be perfectly honest, I am starting to worry. So this is my attempt to try and remedy that.

I decided to run a workshop drive today, with the goal of selling ten workshops before the weekend! If you have any interest in the following, consider signing up for a day or weekend at the farm: learn to play the fiddle, spin and knit wool, promote your own writing and blog, intro to working horses with guest speaker and natural horsemanship guru Trainer Dave, and of course, the nonstop festivities of Antlerstock.

It is how I support myself now, entirely, so your participation is so very appreciated! If you live around the area and find yourself wanting to go to more than one or two workshops a year, you can also buy a Season Pass, which is a huge confidence booster and blessing for this farm when they are purchases. They cost the same as Antlerstock and another workshop for a couple and I do sell Season Passes at a discounted couples rate.

So, click this link here, to see all the classes, passes, and workshops being offered. I hope I can motivate some of you to head over here for the fellowship and fun. The farm and I truly appreciate it and all you do as readers and fellow story tellers on your own farms. I thank you again, and hope to see you in my living room soon!

18 Comments:

Jenna, I live too far away to get to your place unless I take a weeks vacation to do it. Is there any way that you could start to film your workshops and offer them online? Just a thought from those of us who would love to be there!

Wow, either you use a lot of wood, or are preparing a large reserve. We just finished cutting and splitting our ~2 cords last week (8 cubic meters) and started drying about that quantity for the 2013-2014 winter.

Jenna- Have you considered buying round bales for your sheep and goats? They're much more economical and can be stored outside under a tarp. The only obstacle I can see for you is they need to be moved with machinery. However, if you place them strategically and fence them off until you need them then they should work out. I switched to round bales for my winter needs for everything but my horses and rabbits. It has cut down on my workload significantly and saved me countless dollars too!

Hi Jenna - I enjoy your blog every day - I live in california so i cannot attend a workshop - but I want to support you and say thank you for much reading pleasure- i would like to send you a small check to say thank you for all the enjoyment i receive from your blog - what is the best way - address? paypal?let me know wendy greenspan Wendells4@hotmail.com

Good luck Jenna! I too live all the way in California and with rabbits and two little girls I can't make it out to a workshop until the girls are old enough to care for the animals and themselves when I'm gone. But I really hope you get a lot of good response to your workshop drive! I'm pulling for you and I'm sure no matter what happens, you will be fine this winter. You always figure something out.

Jenna - you need to update your profile so it says Occupation: Farmer and not graphic designer! I would do a webinar as well - we live in Chicago but we are working towards moving to a more rural location in the next two years and are doing lots of research now to make it happen.

Just wondering as it's 'back to school' time, whether you could get some paid work giving lectures etc. I remember you mentioning a few different teachers contacting you about this just as you left the office. Or how about making up some flyers with your website address, and the books you've written to target students on courses at local colleges studying agriculture, fiber arts, creative writing etc. They may be new to the area and not realise your workshops are even available. Could maybe bring in some hay/firewood funds. Hannah

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About Me

Enjoy the story of a young writer living in Washington County with her fancy dogs, sheep, lots of chickens, fiber & meat rabbits, geese, ducks, turkeys, a hive and a garden. Expect to hear a lot about mountain music, the civil war, local food, and my friends along the way. It's a big time folks.